Deposed? I couldn't be happier! I wouldn't even be a dog to the crown prince.

One hour.

From the moment Li Shimin lit the fuse to the moment the dragon flags of the Tang Dynasty were planted all over the city of Yanqi, only one hour had passed!

This is not a war at all, not even a proper conflict.

This was purely a one-sided, high-dimensional crushing, a violent yet efficient demolition operation.

The once towering and sturdy city of Yanqi has now been reduced to a smoke-filled ruin. The city gate, welded shut with molten iron, is now nothing but a pile of twisted and deformed scrap iron, as if silently mocking the laughable "iron walls" of the King of Yanqi.

The news spread like wildfire, reaching all thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions at an astonishing speed.

The rulers of these once powerful and arrogant small kingdoms in the Western Regions, such as Kucha, Shule, and Khotan, were all terrified.

King Ju Wentai of Gaochang was made into dried meat for the sacrificial flag, and King Turgesh of Yanqi lost a leg and was captured to mine coal.

The fates of these two overlords of the Western Regions were like two resounding slaps to the faces of all those who tried to put up a stubborn resistance.

"The Tang army has the help of the Thunder God! They can summon heavenly fire!"

"That eight-year-old Tang Dynasty crown prince is a reincarnation of an Asura! Anyone who dares to challenge him will be blown up!"

"Quickly! Bring out all the luminous cups and Hetian jade from the national treasury! Forget about these national treasures, hurry and beg the Great Tang for mercy!"

In an instant, the entire Western Regions were thrown into chaos.

Countless skilled embroiderers were dragged out of bed overnight, working overtime with tears in their eyes to embroider the white flags that represented surrender.

The once arrogant envoys from the Western Regions were now like mice seeing a cat, rushing towards the Tang army camp with priceless tributes.

They were terrified that if they arrived even a moment too late, their own city walls would be blasted to smithereens by those terrifying red cannons.

Three days later, in the central military tent of the Tang Dynasty.

The atmosphere here is so lively that it doesn't feel like a war, but more like a grand World's Fair.

Li Shimin sat upright on the commander's chair covered with a fine white tiger skin, his face glowing with health.

He held a luminous cup, a tribute from the Kingdom of Kucha, carved from a single piece of the finest Hetian jade, and took a delightful sip of the special grape wine from the Western Regions.

"Your Majesty! The King of Kucha is willing to offer three thousand warhorses and ten thousand taels of gold, begging for Your Majesty's protection!"

"Your Majesty! The King of Shule is willing to cede three cities and pay tribute annually, only requesting that the Tang army take a detour!"

"Your Majesty! The King of Khotan is willing to send his only beloved daughter to the Tang Dynasty to serve as a foot-washing maid for His Highness the Crown Prince!"

Looking at the envoys from various countries kneeling all over the tent, their heads almost bleeding from kowtowing, Li Shimin felt that he had reached the pinnacle of his life.

Awesome! That's fucking awesome!

This is what it means for all nations to pay tribute! This is the kind of grandeur a Heavenly Khan should have!

Back then, when he personally led the expedition against Goguryeo, it was incredibly difficult. He endured wind and rain and had to fight those Koreans to the death.

Unlike now? All we have to do is set up these red cannons and let that cunning son say a few harsh words, and these barbarians from the Western Regions will obediently empty the national treasury and deliver it to our doorstep.

This battle was fought more easily and pleasantly than listening to music in Chang'an!

"Hahaha! Great! Everything's good!"

Li Shimin put down the luminous cup, his beard trembling with laughter, and waved his hand.

"Since you are so sincere, I am not an unreasonable person. As long as you sincerely submit to the Tang Dynasty, I will guarantee your country's peace and prosperity!"

However, just as Li Shimin was becoming increasingly immersed in this immense vanity, he was unable to extricate himself.

Li Chengqian, who had been lounging lazily on the soft couch, playing with a miniature pistol in his hand, suddenly let out a very untimely chuckle.

"Ha, peace and prosperity?"

Li Chengqian glanced at the mountains of treasures piled on the ground, but his eyes revealed an unfathomable coldness.

"Father, are you satisfied now?"

Li Chengqian stood up, his dark gold soft armor reflecting a cold metallic luster in the candlelight.

He didn't even glance at the trembling envoys, and walked straight to the huge map of the Western Regions hanging behind the tent.

His ivory baton swept across the densely packed area of ​​the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions, now filled with the flags of the Tang Dynasty.

Then, heading south, crossing the majestic Kunlun Mountains, it finally came to a heavy stop on a plateau marked as an "extremely cold place".

That place was the last and toughest piece of the Tang Dynasty's territory—Tibet!

Li Chengqian turned around, looked at Li Shimin who was still grinning foolishly, and a playful smile appeared on his lips.

"These thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions are nothing but a flock of sheep that have been frightened out of their wits. They wouldn't even be enough to fill the teeth of our Great Tang Dynasty as pasture."

"The real prey hasn't even shown its face yet."

Li Chengqian's voice rang out softly, carrying a chilling aura that sent shivers down one's spine.

"That old fox, Gar Tongtsen, should have already escaped back to Lhasa by now, right?"

"I'm quite curious whether Songtsen Gampo, who's known as the Eagle of the Snow Region, will still be able to sit still after hearing the commotion from our red cannons?"

Upon hearing the word "Tibet," the once bustling and noisy tent instantly fell silent.

The smile on Li Shimin's face gradually faded, and his eyes became sharp as knives.

Although he was ambitious and eager for glory, he was also a seasoned military strategist.

He was well aware that Tibet was the biggest threat to the Tang Dynasty's westward expansion.

That vast empire, perched atop the roof of the world, possessed formidable high-altitude natural defenses and countless fierce cavalry.

"Chengqian, you mean..." Li Shimin put down the luminous cup in his hand and leaned forward slightly.

"If we're going to fight, let's make it hurt once and for all!"

Li Chengqian suddenly snapped the baton in his hand, his eyes flashing with unprecedented fighting spirit.

"Order the entire army! Melt down all the scrap metal we've plundered from the Western Regions!"

"Have Mo Ju work overtime overnight to build another hundred Red-Clad Cannons!"

"We won't go back to Chang'an next spring."

Li Chengqian looked at the plateau symbol representing Tibet and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Let's go to the plateau, have a good chat with that king about life, and while we're at it, ask him if he'd like to see an even grander fireworks display!"